


flower language

by yououui



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:06:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24163318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yououui/pseuds/yououui
Summary: Cloud and Aerith share a moment amongst the flowers.Look at her, he heard a voice that was not his own say. He looked at the flowers. Look at her, they said again.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Comments: 4
Kudos: 122
Collections: clerith fanfics





	flower language

**Author's Note:**

> I originally posted this on twitter, but decided to officially post it here so it could be easy to find if anyone would like to ^▽^
> 
> Set some time??? after Midgar, who knows. but no major spoilers!

“Let’s go for a walk!”

Cloud was helpless to Aerith’s wants, and that was how he ended up walking slightly behind her around the small village they were staying in. The others were off taking a much needed break, leaving Cloud and Aerith alone to stroll under the pleasant afternoon sun.

“Oh!” Aerith squealed when she caught sight of something ahead of them.

“Hey!” Cloud called when she ran forward without him, picking up his pace to jog behind her. “What are you—”

He slowed back to a walk when he finally noticed what had her so excited. A small bed of flowers was growing under a tree, pink and white petals swaying gently in the breeze. Aerith knelt beside them and carressed them gently with her hands like she was soothing a small child. Cloud approached slowly from behind and she looked up at him with a bright smile that stunned Cloud for a moment.

“Aren’t they beautiful?” She asked.

Cloud swallowed and nodded. Skin warm from sunlight, surrounded by flowers, smiling without a care. “Y-Yeah,” He agreed. She was beautiful.

She turned her attention back to the flowers. “I wonder what kind they are? I’ll have to ask someone back in the village,” She pondered with a finger against her chin. “I wonder if I can take some with me to plant back home… Oh, but they’d probably die quickly… I don’t want to do that to the poor flowers.”

Cloud stepped up beside her and knelt down as well to look at the flowers closer. They looked simple, round petals and bright yellow centers, but he couldn’t remember seeing any quite like them in her garden around her house. “Maybe we can come back,” He suggested. “Before we go back to Midgar. Bring some with us.”

Aerith gave him a sidelong glance. “You think so?”

“Don’t see why not,” Cloud shrugged. “You know. Once this is all over.”

Aerith didn’t say anything, but he could feel her looking at him. Cloud swallowed, suddenly nervous. Had the sun gotten brighter? His face was getting hot. Was he too forward? Who knew what they’d be doing in the future, maybe she didn’t want to return to Midgar with him. Cloud’s head was going to explode.

He was so preoccupied with his thoughts, he didn’t notice her get closer. It happened so quickly, he didn’t even realize _what_ had happened until she had already pulled away. A soft press of warm lips against his cheek, right at the corner of his mouth.

Cloud’s lungs filled with ice and his heart sped up to the point that his chest hurt a little bit. If his face was hot before, it was absolutely burning now, all the way to the tips of his ears. He swallowed and clenched his trembling hands into fists, then took a shaky breath to steady himself and braved a glance at her.

As soon as he saw her looking at him with her soft smile, he snapped his gaze forward again and looked pointedly down at the flowers. He grit his teeth to keep his jaw from trembling. Why had she done that? Had she even done it? Was he just imagining things?

“Cloud?” Aerith said, voice honey-sweet.

“Mm-hmm?” He responded. He was too afraid to speak right now. He felt lightheaded.

“Are you all right?” She asked soothingly.

“Yep,” Cloud said with a stiff nod.

He blinked and looked down when he felt a soft touch over his fist, watched as slender fingers gently uncurled his own and moved between them in a tender hold. Cloud’s heart raced even faster, if it was possible. Why was she holding his hand? Should he hold hers back? Oh, he was getting dizzy.

 _Look at her,_ he heard a voice that was not his own say. He looked at the flowers. _Look at her,_ they said again.

Cloud swallowed and raised his eyes to look at Aerith. She was smiling, but her eyes were apprehensive, unsure. Her cheeks were flushed adorably pink.

 _Say something,_ the flowers said.

“Um…” Was all Cloud managed. Unable to say anything more, he simply squeezed her hand.

Aerith’s eyes brightened, the uncertainty fading away like rain clouds yielding to a spring wind. Her grin grew and Cloud couldn’t help it when he offered her a small smile of his own in return.

“It would be nice to have a picnic here,” Aerith said as she looked back at the flowers, her head bowed to hide her smile behind her hair. 

_Learn to talk to her._

“How about tonight?” Cloud offered once he was able to speak again. He hoped he only imagined the tremble in his voice.

Then she looked at him again, and it was like he was looking into the gates of heaven. It was like the Goddess of Beauty sat before him and she was holding his hand like _he_ was something special, a blessing to his heart and soul he would always selfishly hold onto. Even if one day she turned out to be a curse, he would yield to everything she was without care or hesitation just to see those eyes look at him like that.

Her beautiful, wonderful smile grew, and Cloud’s heart lightened as she said, “I’d love that.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! come scream about how much you love them with me
> 
> [twitter](https://www.twitter.com/yououuii)  
> [tumblr](https://yououui.tumblr.com)


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